I’ve been working with Baltic Birch plywood for my doll’s cradle project. Without shellac or sanding sealer, the plywood looks nasty after staining. Using an oil based stain, Minwax. I’m thinking about spraying or brushing on clear lacquer for my top coat.

I don’t see much difference between my samples, so is there a recommended prestain controller?

-- "I like the quiet I hear." - Channing, age 4

5 replies so far

Bob, as far as I am concerned the jury is still out on which one is the best. I have used several and really find that there is not a lot of discernible difference between them. I feel that any of them will work and it is largely a matter of personal preference. The main thing is that when staining birch plywood, poplar and pine to use some form of blotch control before applying oil base stains. You might want to take a look at Charles Neil's blotch control. It is on my list to try and several members have been giving it a thumbs up.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

I use dewaxed shellac as a sealer, usually a couple of coats followed by a light sanding at 220. My preferred stains are the General Finish gel stains. They go on easy, they don’t run and they color well over the shellac.

I love shellac, maybe I use it too much. Zinsser Seal Coat mixed 50/50 with denatured alcohol works well. Make sure the shellac is dewaxed or you will have some issues with stain adherence. Charles Neils’ sealer is also very good. Using a gel stain (I like General Finishes) works better, or at least it is more forgiving, on this type of wood.